re: Why are southern teams afraid to leave the south?

Your real question is why SEC teams won't acknowledge or validate your request for relevance. Fear of traveling any direction to play has never been a factor.

It's because teams already pay a penalty for scheduling warm weather patsies. There is zero incentive to be miserably cold AND still take the hit to SOS.

Must be frustrating to still be considered unworthy in an age where everybody gets a medal.